Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup

It's Potluck Week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). We get to select any recipe, from any of IHCC featured chefs (past or present), and once again, I've cooked with Nigella. I like her recipes and her books are the most frequent ones I go to, for our Potluck week. I've made Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup, for one of our weekday lunch.

Quick and easy to cook, and tastes great! For the noodles, instead of ramen noodles, I've used fresh yellow noodles, which just need a quick blanch in hot boiling water. I did not use baby bok choy, but have replaced with Chinese Choy Sum, the last batch of  choy sum harvest, from my container garden. They are tender and delicious!

I've made this for lunch, but it would be great as a one-dish meal for dinner, or even breakfast. We, Asians, love having noodles for breakfast!

Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup
(adapted from "Nigella Kitchen", Nigella Lawson, or here)
Serves 2-4
10 ounces pork tenderloin, cut into thin discs and then fine strips
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 ounces ramen noodles
1 tablespoon garlic flavoured oil
6 thin or 3 fat scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh (or frozen) gingerroot
1 quart chicken broth (good-quality carton, can or cube is fine), preferably organic
3 cups (10 ounces) bean sprouts
2 small baby bok choy, torn into pieces
2 teaspoons chopped red or green chiles

1. Put the strips of pork tenderloin into a bowl and add the lime juice, soy sauce, paprika and fish sauce, but don't let this stand for more than 15 minutes.
2. Cook the noodles following the package instructions and then refresh in cold water. Heat the chicken broth until almost boiling.
3. Heat a wok or a deep, heavy-based frying pan, then add the garlic flavoured oil and fry the scallions and ginger for a minute or so. Add the pork and its liquid to the wok, stirring as you go.
4. Cook the meat in the pan for another 2 minutes, then add the hot chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil.
5. Check that the pork is cooked through, then add the bean sprouts and baby bok choy. Add water if the soupy base has evaporated too much - about 1/2 cup of freshly boiled water should do the trick, but you may not need it.
6. Arrange the drained noodles equally in 2 large or 4 small warmed bowls, ladle over them the pork and vegetables, and finally the soupy stock. Scatter the chopped chiles on top and serve.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

April Potluck

and 

Souper Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen